“When we perceive ourselves to be suffering, we can
first observe which part of our personality we are identified with. For
example, if we are identified with jealousy, we may ask ourselves, ‘If I
let go of this jealousy, will there be nothing left of me?’ Gradually,
we can see that there is someone inside of us that wants to feel
jealous. This prison guard called jealousy wants us to remain in this
jail of suffering. Find out who this guard is, because he is the one
wanting to feel this jealousy and get the pleasure out of it. It is this
negatively oriented pleasure that prevents us from letting go of
destructive patterns. Since pleasure is life, the ego fears giving up
this pleasure because it fears that it will die.”

Praise
and so on distract me and remove my disillusionment with the cycle of
existence. They stir up jealousy toward gifted people, and anger at
their success. . . . It is wrong to feel anger toward someone, thinking
that person impedes my merit. As there is no austerity equal to
patience, shall I not abide in that?